{"id":55279,"date":"2025-09-26T20:35:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T15:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=55279"},"modified":"2025-09-27T13:08:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T07:38:29","slug":"custodial-deaths-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-09-2025\/custodial-deaths-india","title":{"rendered":"Custodial Deaths in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court castigated the Madhya Pradesh government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for failing to arrest two police officers <strong>allegedly responsible for the custodial death of a 25-year-old.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Custodial Deaths in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the National Human Rights Commission, there were 1<strong>1,650 deaths in custody in India between 2016 and 2022.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> alone has reported 2,630 custodial deaths, the highest in the country.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Magisterial Inquiries:<\/strong> A 2023 analysis of NHRC and government data reveals between 2017 and 2022, only 345 magisterial inquiries were ordered nationwide into custodial deaths, resulting in just 123 arrests.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vulnerable Groups:<\/strong> NHRC data reveals that 71% of custodial deaths between 1996 and 2018 involved detainees from poor or vulnerable backgrounds.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Custodial Deaths are Rampant in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Colonial Legacy of Policing: <\/strong>The Indian police system is still heavily influenced by the Police Act of 1861, designed for control rather than service.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This creates an authoritarian mindset where force is often prioritized over lawful procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Accountability Mechanisms: <\/strong>Investigations into custodial deaths are often carried out by the same police department, leading to bias.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Torture as a Tool of Investigation: <\/strong>Due to poor training and lack of forensic infrastructure, police often resort to third-degree methods to extract confessions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marginalisation and Vulnerable Groups: <\/strong>Most victims come from weaker socio-economic backgrounds.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lack of legal literacy and resources prevents families from seeking justice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor Implementation of Safeguards: <\/strong>Safeguards under Article 21 &amp; 22 of the Constitution, D.K. Basu guidelines (1997), NHRC directives, and Supreme Court judgments are often ignored.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mandatory requirements like medical examinations, arrest memos, and informing relatives are routinely violated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Erosion of Rule of Law: <\/strong>It shows that constitutional safeguards that Article 21 \u2013 Right to Life, Article 22 \u2013 Protection against arbitrary arrest are being routinely violated.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This undermines public confidence in the justice system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Rights Image: <\/strong>Internationally, India faces criticism in UNHRC, Human Rights Watch reports. This weakens India\u2019s moral authority when it speaks about human rights issues in other countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Police-State Perception: <\/strong>High custodial deaths may create a perception of India as a police state rather than a welfare-oriented democracy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Criminal Justice System<\/strong>: This projects inefficiency in adopting modern policing, forensics, and technology-driven methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>International Legal Frameworks for Protection<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>United Nations Charter (1945):<\/strong> It sets out the purposes and principles of the UN, including the promotion of human rights.<br>&#8211; <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): <\/strong>It prohibits torture and ensures the presumption of innocence.<br>&#8211; <strong>International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966):<\/strong> It protects right to life and prohibits torture.<br>&#8211; <strong>The Nelson Mandela Rules,<\/strong> officially known as the <strong>UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners 2015,<\/strong> establish minimum standards for the humane treatment of all individuals deprived of their liberty.<br>&#8211; <strong>European Convention on Human Rights (1950):<\/strong> It recognises individual dignity and access to justice mechanisms.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Initiatives to Curb Custodial Deaths in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supreme Court Guidelines (D.K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal, 1997): <\/strong>It laid down mandatory arrest and detention safeguards: informing relatives, maintaining arrest memo, medical examination, legal counsel, production before magistrate within 24 hours.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These guidelines are treated as enforceable law under Article 141.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) \u2013 Section 176:<\/strong> It mandates judicial inquiry by a magistrate in cases of custodial deaths, this ensures an investigation outside police control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Human Rights Commission (NHRC): <\/strong>NHRC requires mandatory reporting of all custodial deaths within 24 hours.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Issues advisories and seeks compliance reports from states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supreme Court Directions on CCTV Cameras (2020, Paramvir Singh Saini Case): <\/strong>Directed installation of CCTV cameras with night vision and audio in all police stations and prisons.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ordered independent committees at state and district levels for monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Oversight: <\/strong>High Courts and the Supreme Court regularly intervene in custodial death cases, order compensation, and monitor police reforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Criminal Law Reforms (2023):<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-12-2023\/daily-current-affairs-21-12-2023\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-12-2023\/daily-current-affairs-21-12-2023\"><strong> <\/strong>Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023<\/a> (replacing CrPC) introduces provisions for greater transparency in arrests, use of forensic methods, and citizen-centric procedures.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 modernise penal and evidentiary laws, reducing dependence on confession-based policing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recommendations for Reform<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Law Commission Reports:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>69th Report (1977) of Law Commission of India:<\/strong> It proposed introducing Section 26A in the Indian Evidence Act to make confessions before senior police officers admissible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>273rd Report of Law Commission of India<\/strong> recommended an anti-torture law, affirming that India\u2019s existing legal safeguards are insufficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Police Reforms: <\/strong>Implement the Supreme Court&#8217;s <strong>Prakash Singh vs. Union of India (2006) directives<\/strong>, including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Separation of the investigation and law and order functions of the police<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establishment of Police Complaints Authorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mandatory Use of Technology: <\/strong>CCTV coverage in interrogation rooms, digital records of questioning, and body cameras must become the norm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Reforms: <\/strong>Fast-track courts for custodial crimes, along with stringent penalties for complicit officials, are essential.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Custodial deaths remain a concern for India&#8217;s democratic and constitutional values.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While the government has introduced legal safeguards, judicial directions, and institutional mechanisms, their effectiveness depends on strict enforcement, police reforms, and a shift towards technology-driven investigations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/supreme-court-raps-mp-govt-cbi-over-delay-in-arrest-of-police-officers-in-custodial-death-case\/article70092867.ece#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20on%20Thursday,%2Dyear%2Dold%20Deva%20Pardhi.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Supreme Court castigated the Madhya Pradesh government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for failing to arrest two police officers allegedly responsible for the custodial death of a 25-year-old.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Custodial Deaths in India<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">According to the National Human Rights Commission, there were 11,650 deaths in custody in India between 2016 and 2022.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Magisterial Inquiries: A 2023 analysis of NHRC and government data reveals between 2017 and 2022, only 345 magisterial inquiries were ordered nationwide into custodial deaths, resulting in just 123 arrests.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Vulnerable Groups: NHRC data reveals that 71% of custodial deaths between 1996 and 2018 involved detainees from poor or vulnerable backgrounds.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-09-2025\/custodial-deaths-india\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":55325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/09\/custodial-deaths-india.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55279"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55346,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55279\/revisions\/55346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}